Of tragedies and fairy tales
by fleurusagi
Summary: Ash is thoughtful about Romeo and Juliet and fairy tales. Gary wonders what he's thinking about. He also doesn't know why the raven was taking the play to heart. They weren't real people and it wasn't based on a true story. Right?


**Hello, again~**

**I was formerly known as squirtle10 and now I am fleurusagi.**

**This a short one-shot and**** AU. Ash and Gary are college freshmen living in a dorm and they are roommates.**

**Ages: 19.**

**Again, I do not own Pokémon. **

**Enjoy!**

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**Of tragedies and fairy tales**

_"My bounty is as boundless as the sea,_

_My love as deep; the more I give to thee,_

_The more I have, for both are infinite"_

_-William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet._

"No, Ash. They committed suicide."

"Then how is it a love story?"

"It's a tragedy."

"Why?"

Gary sighed and said, "I don't know. I'm not Shakespeare."

"Well, he sucks," Ash replied as he laid down on his bed. "It should have ended as happily ever after."

"It's not a fairy tale. This isn't Cinderella or Snow White. There's no prince charming and no happy ending."

"Isn't Romeo technically a prince?"

"Yea, I guess so. What's your point?"

"Then he could have saved her!"

"He died first," Gary pointed out. "Did you even read the book?"

Ash turned red and threw his pillow to the brunette. Gary dodged it and laughed.

"Why is it so famous if it ends bad?"

Gary shrugged and looked at Ash curiously. He didn't know why the raven was taking the story to heart. They weren't real people and it wasn't based on a true story. Perhaps there were families that were against certain marriages, but they wouldn't go to such an extent. Disowning perhaps, but certainly not murder.

"Not all fairy tales have their happily ever after, Ash," Gary said slowly.

"You're such a liar."

"Oh, yeah? Do you know how the Little Mermaid originally ends?"

"…No."

Gary sighed and walked to Ash's bed. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"Right. And I'm the liar," Gary replied sarcastically. "What the hell, Ash? I thought we were passed this."

"It's stupid."

"I don't care. Come on, move. I'm not going to be standing up the whole time."

"There's the chair," Ash grumbled but he moved to make space for Gary.

"You know you like having me close, _Ashy-boy_."

"Go fuck yourself."

"Nah. I'll depress all the girls that are after me if I do that."

Instead of replying, Ash closed his eyes and punched Gary's arm. The latter let out a chuckle and gently ruffled Ash's hair.

Silently, Ash knew he should have kept his mouth shut. But their earlier English lecture made him realize that being in love isn't always butterflies and rainbows. If two opposing families didn't allow their children to be together, what would society, especially his family, think about him being in love with a guy?

"Are you happy?" Ash asked quietly. "With me?"

"Of course I am. I'm not lying," Gary responded seriously when he saw Ash open his mouth to talk back. "I'm happy with you."

Ash nodded but kept his eyes close. Although they've been together since their senior year in high school, it was still difficult to make their relationship public. If he had the chance, he wouldn't mind telling the whole world about the person he loved, of the person who made him smile and laugh every day.

"Did Shakespeare write more tragedies?"

"Yea, but he also wrote comedies."

"And not all fairy tales end in happily ever after…"

"Not all fairy tales involve a princess or a prince charming, Ash. Jack and the Beanstalk, Goldilocks, and Red Riding Hood are some that don't involve any of that."

"Oh, I forgot about those."

Gary hummed in response, patiently waiting for Ash to collect his thoughts. It bothered him when his lover was uncharacteristically quiet and thinking about things that weren't remotely close to the truth. They stayed in comfortable silence for a few minutes before Gary spoke again.

"What's wrong?"

"I don't… I don't want us to end up like Romeo and Juliet," Ash replied quietly. "I know it sounds stupid, but I don't want our relationship to turn bad. I just want us to be happy without anyone breaking us apart."

"Our life isn't going to end in a tragedy," Gary whispered, intertwining his fingers with Ash's. "It'll be hard, but I'll give you the happily ever after that you want. If we have to run away somewhere far and start a new life, then we will. As long as we're together, we'll be fine."

Ash finally opened his eyes and turned to look at Gary. "That's too extreme."

"You want your fairy tale ending right? That's one way of giving it to you."

"One way?"

Gary let out a small smile and squeezed his hand. "Yea, but the other ways are a secret."

"That's not fair," Ash pouted, wrapping his free arm over Gary's waist.

_'Life isn't fair,'_ Gary thought, but he was content with what he had. "Let's go out tomorrow. We don't have class and I get my paycheck later today. We can go to that restaurant you've been wanting to go to."

"Really? Yea, that sounds great. We can go to the beach afterwards. Brock said they have the best ice cream."

The older teen shook his head but agreed. "I spoil you too much."

Ash scoffs and unexpectedly straddled him, surprising Gary. "It's more like _I_ spoil _you_."

Gary quickly recovered from his shock and flipped them so Ash would be in the bottom. There was a glint in his eyes as he leaned down to brush their lips together.

"You shouldn't lie, Ashy-boy. You know what happened last time. Now _that_ was a tragedy."

Ash blushed and stuttered but he was silenced when Gary kissed him. He returned the kiss with equal fervor, his doubts from earlier pushed away from his mind.

_'I love you.'_

_'I love you, too.'_

With the love they showed each other in the past and that same day, they believed that in the future, they can get their happy ending.

_"Life itself is the most wonderful fairy tale"- Hans Christian Andersen_

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**I had this idea for another fandom but I wanted to try something a little different for this pairing.**

**I am also planning to write a pirate/prince AU with Gary and Ash, and it's going to be a multi-chapter.**

**I hope you enjoyed!  
**

**Comment, favorite, anything will do.**

**Thanks for reading and until next time!**


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